Hilary Davidson Books In Order

Publication Order of Lily Moore Mystery Books

Publication Order of Shadows of New York Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Grifter's Song Books

Publication Order of Veridical Dreams Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Hilary Davidson is a Canadian author of mystery, crime and thriller writer best known for her Shadows of New York series and Lily Moore series. Her Lily Moore series debut novel The Damage Done won the 2011 Antony Award for Best First Novel.

Subsequently, her Shadows of New York series debut novel, One Small Sacrifice was listed among New York’s best-sellers. Prior to switching to writing fulltime, Hilary worked as a journalist for Harper’s magazine New York. She is now a New York resident.

The Damage Done

The Damage Done is the first book in the Lily Moore series. It’s a crime-fiction piece that features Lily Moore, a travel writer. She’s forced to leave New York for Spain because of her younger sister’s drug problem. She is the responsible elder sister is concerned about Claudia and tries to help her sister the best way she can. Unfortunately, it is evident that the drug problem is something Claudia will have to fight on her own.

Lily’s peace is interrupted when she gets a call from home about her sister’s demise. Even worse, Claudia’s death is suspected to be a suicide and occurs same day as their mother’s suicide anniversary. The heartbroken Lily travels to New York to sort things out and her grief turns into confusion when it is discovered that the person lying at the morgue is not Claudia but a stranger.

So who is the dead stranger found in Claudia’s apartment, and where is Claudia?

Following the police investigation, it becomes clear that the stranger had impersonated Claudia and was living in the apartment that Lily shared with her sister a few months before she is found dead in the bathtub. Claudia had vanished, but on the day her impersonator dies, Claudia reappears, albeit briefly. Claudia becomes the key suspect in the unknown woman’s death, and the fact that she is nowhere to be found makes this theory even stronger.

Lily sets to find her sister before the police get to her. She’s not only looking to save her sister from the looming danger but also wants to find the identity of the dead woman and the circumstances leading to her death. It’s Lily’s search for the truth that sets the pace for this crime fiction tale of love, addiction, and family ties. Lily, her friend, and the two detectives work to gather evidence, and some of the details that Lily picks as she tries to find her sister leave her more confused than ever. At some point, Lily is unsure of who she can trust.

The Damage Done is a modern mystery piece with plenty of twists and turns and an exciting heroine. The story is beautifully written, making it a page-turner that will keep you on your toes to the end. The pace is quick yet coherent, so it is easy to follow and understand.

The cast in the story is quite engaging. Aside from Lily and Claudia, there is Martin Skylar, Lily’s ex-fiancé, Tariq Lawrence, Claudia’s former lover, Jesse, Lily’s loyal best friend, and the two detectives set to determine whether Claudia is the victim or the suspect. All the characters are well-rounded, making it easy for readers to travel with them through their life journeys and look forward to reading more about them in the next sequel. Simply a good read. It is easy to see how The Damage Done got the award for the best debut novel.

The One Small Sacrifice

One Small Sacrifice is the first book in the Shadows of New York series. The book is centered on a mysterious disappearance, an apparent suicide, and a possibility that a man had gotten away with murder twice. The book features Sheryn, a detective with the NYPD determined not to leave any stone unturned in her search for the truth. For over one year, Sheryn has been keeping an eye on Alex Traynor, a wartime photojournalist struggling with PTSD.
Alex worked as a photojournalist in a war zone, and he came home with a broken leg and a severe case of PTSD. He was not keen to follow the text-book approach to this condition, and his friend and drug-dealer Cori help him to self-medicate and generally deal with his stress. Things change when Cori falls from the roof of Alex’s apartment and dies. It was ruled that Cori’s death was a suicide. However, Sheryn is convinced that Alex had something to do with it, and she is determined to unravel whatever details Alex is hiding.

Soon after Cori’s death, Alex’s fiancée, Emily, goes missing. It is unlike the talented young doctor to leave without telling any of her friends. Sheryn feels that there are too many loose ends on Cori’s death, and Emily’s disappearance renews her determination to get the truth about Cori’s death. She is not about to let Alex get away with murder again.

Sheryn thinks that Alex killed Cori in a drug-filled freak-out. To protect her boyfriend, Emily then provided an alibi. She is convinced that Alex also killed his fiancée when he relapsed over the weekend. Sheryn is determined to find all the details that could link Cori’s death to Alex in a bid to bring the murderous photojournalist to a stop. Sheryn’s theory unravels when she gets different information from all the people she interviews on Cori’s death. Sheryn strongly believes that unraveling the mystery behind Cori’s death will help in solving Emily’s disappearance.

Alex, on the other hand, blames himself for Cori’s death. He believes that there is something he could have done to prevent his friend’s death. Because of this guilt, Alex sinks further into depression and drug use. One Small Sacrifice is told from Alex Traynor and detective Sheryn’s perspectives. The mystery plot is well constructed and remarkable. The cast from the main characters and the supporting characters are quite fascinating, and it helps that the entire main characters are well-rounded and relatable. The story is fast-paced and even throughout. In the end, we see how the characters’ flaws impact others.

One Response to “Hilary Davidson”

1. Linda A Godfrey: 3 years ago

   I am currently reading Her Last Breath. You mention High Falls and SUNY New Paltz! I live in Kingston, NY and am about a half hour away from those towns and have been there many times. What a small world!

   Reply